


The Meal

by Violet_Quaileggs



Series: The Culinary Dream [1]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Cooking Lessons, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hannibal Loves Will, M/M, Murder Husbands, Will Loves Hannibal, Will cooks for Hannibal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-07 18:50:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12847320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Violet_Quaileggs/pseuds/Violet_Quaileggs
Summary: Will wanted to cook for Hannibal, but he was not a good cook. He messed up and Hannibal gave him a cooking lesson.





	The Meal

**Author's Note:**

> Bonus: Hannibal may have discovered a new kink...

Will loved Hannibal’s cooking. He always had, even though he couldn't pronounce half of the damn dishes the man made. Even after discovering Hannibal’s true self, knowing what those meals were made of, or more specifically, who it was made of, he still loved them. He had never been one to care much about what he put in his body, given his family’s finance and negligence. After he met Hannibal, however, he had become accustomed to being treated to meals as extravagant and elegant as these, not to mention how much more healthy and nutritious they were compared to his canned soups and microwaveable spaghetti. Especially after they got together, after they started living together off the grid, he got so used to Hannibal’s cooking that food no longer come as conscious thoughts. 

 

He had helped Hannibal out in the kitchen a few times, in minor things such as cutting vegetables and stirring the pots, he had never cooked anything from start to finish. He knew how important food was to Hannibal. The man was strict in his intake of sustenance as every details were precisely measured, he was as calculating in his arts as he was in life. Will felt like he wanted to appeal to that side of his husband like he had to other sides many times over. He started to watch Hannibal cook more frequently. He studied recipes, went online to learn tips and tricks to perfect the dishes. He didn't get the chance to do a practice run before a perfect moment arrived. It was their anniversary and Will wanted to cook a meal for Hannibal. A full three course meal he made himself, to show that he could, and that he cared. He was not good with words so he figured actions would be better. 

 

“Don’t cook anything today, ok? I got it covered.” Will tried to keep it vague, wanting to keep it as much of a surprise as he could. Hannibal seemed to catch onto it quite quickly like he would most things. “Am I right to presume you are planning something special on your own?”

 

Will smirked as he put on his coat to go on the grocery trip. “You’ll see.” 

 

Hannibal sent a warm, adoring smile back as he nodded. “The kitchen is yours then, my dear. I’m sure whatever you put forward will be splendid. I can hardly contain my excitement.” Will didn't want to acknowledge how his face heat up at the non-sarcastic affection as he headed out. 

 

He stumbled back into the house a few hours later with a plastic bag hooked on one of his wrists while two other paper ones sat in his arms. He had to resolve to petting the excited pack of dogs with his feet as he carried the load into the kitchen. These dishes are tedious, he thought as he slowly unpacked the ingredients. He began washing and preparing the dried ingredients right away since he was afraid he wouldn’t have enough time. He did ask for a day off so he could cook all this while Hannibal was at his office. Surely, he could perfect all of this by the time his husband got back. 

 

Boy, how wrong he was. 

 

He never taken into consideration how badly he would fuck up in making the meal. Having no experience whatsoever in cooking, he managed to burn the cake, undercooked the potatoes, then after redoing it, gravely overcooked the potatoes. Flambeing was a goddamn disaster as he nearly set the house on fire. How he manage to not get his eyebrows burnt off was a miracle. 

 

He didn't even check the time as he was so concentrated on fixing the dishes and starting over and over that only when Hannibal got home that he knew how time had flew by so quickly. If he had known it was this late, he would have given up and called Hannibal to pick up some take-outs or something, instead. He was still holding a bowl of flour and butter as he was mixing the cake when the older man walked into the kitchen. His eyes widened minutely at the mess Will had made and they stopped at the sight of his husband in a worst mess of them all. His shirt and apron were covered in flour and grease, while his hair were sticky and tousled from both the chocolate and the constant stressed combing of the hand. His husband never looked so beautiful.

 

Will was still trying to salvage the cake but at the solemn gaze of presumably disappointment Hannibal was casting over the place, he finally gave up and put the bowl down in defeat and turned off the stove. He only then realized how he had not sat down for a second since he started and his legs abruptly gave out on him. He slumped down onto the floor and his calloused hands rubbed at his face, an attempt to shamefully hide from the older man. 

 

“Oh god, I’m so sorry. I fucked your kitchen up. And I fucked our anniversary up.” He sighed into his knees as he curled up on himself without realizing it. “I’ll… I’ll clean it all up later. There are some leftovers left and…” A bead of sweat dripped down his forehead and Hannibal reached out a hand to swipe it off its trail, along with a bit of chocolate still stuck on Will’s head and licked it right off his finger. 

 

“Gross! What the hell are you doing?” Will groaned as Hannibal untucked his darling’s face from his arms and placed as gentle kiss to his lips. “It tastes wonderful, just as you are.” If anyone asked, Will would blame the flush on his cheeks on the oven heat. 

 

“Just because it’s our anniversary doesn’t mean you need to be extra cheesy, you know?” He chided. Hannibal gave him a warm grin that showed his canines. “Stop denying yourself, love. You adore my cheesiness.” Will could only huff as he was read inside and out. The older man stood and offered his hand as he helped Will up to his feet. He rolled up the sleeves to his elbows, undo one button at the top and got into cleaning. He worked quickly, Will only managed to help out just a small bit while the man wipe the place down swiftly, though never carelessly. The bowls of messed up batter were rinsed, the burnt meat were tossed as pans and pots were scrubbed clean. When they were done, Will tiredly began to remove his apron, already wanting to get a nice shower, but then Hannibal spoke up. “We can clean ourselves later. Let’s finish this first, should we not?” 

 

Will cocked his head in confusion. “Finish what else? Everything is cleaned.” 

 

“Don’t you want to make this meal? It _is_ our anniversary after all. It would be incredibly unsuitable for us to go to bed on empty stomachs on our anniversary.” Hannibal also tilted his head accordingly, catching Will’s eyes in a warm gaze. The younger man smiled and straightened up as he nodded slowly. “Ok, but you take the lead this time. I don’t think I can clean all that calamity up again.” 

 

So he did, he led Will by instructing him on what to do, not actually doing anything himself. He pressed his chest against Will’s back and his hand over Will’s as they tossed the pan up to flip the vegetables. He gave him guidance on how to see if the meat was cooked, and how exactly cooked. He made sure the ratios of milk, flour, and butter were in their right quantities. He reminded Will of the timer for the oven so the burnt cake fiasco wouldn’t happen again. He taught Will how to keep the working space clean, and how to plan his work time evenly, so while one thing cooked, he would have time to tend to the other stoves. It turned into a cooking lesson before Will could realize it. 

 

Will was a smart student as he learned quickly, but Hannibal didn’t let him get into a haste so as to not get him confused and disoriented. The process took longer than it would if Hannibal had made the meal himself but being able to teach and work alongside his husband was better than the product itself. By the time they finished, it was bordering on ten o’clock. 

 

“Shit, I’m a slow student aren’t I?” Will complained to himself while they plated the dishes. Hannibal also had to give him a quick lesson on how to present them. “No, you’re not, Will. This is the first time you’ve cooked a full meal such as this. For a beginner, you are quite a gifted one.” 

 

“Oh? So you wouldn’t mind hiring me for your restaurant, huh,  _ chef? _ ” Will teased as he bumped his hips against the other man’s. It was Hannibal’s turn to blush as his wandering thoughts carried him to a vision of a small restaurant where he and Will would co-own and work side by side in the kitchen. The ingredients of their recipes would be controversial, though.

 

“Not until you’ve learned not to eat the raw cake batter, dear.” He scolded lightly and carried the plates out to the table. They ate and bantered as some of the dogs patted in and begged Will with their big cute eyes. Will sneaked a few pieces of meat under the table, although he was positively sure Hannibal knew, judging from the unapproving yet adoring glance he sent their way. 

 

Afterwards, they cleaned up and took a nice warm shower together to wash off all the grease and sweat that had been sticking onto them. They fell into bed together and Hannibal ground down at Will. After they made love, they were both so spent that as soon as the covers were drawn up over them, they almost fell instantly into slumber. 

 

“I promise if I were to make you another meal, it won’t be as much of a catastrophe as this one.” Will muttered sleepily into Hannibal’s shoulder. The other man planted a kiss onto his hair as he whispered back. “I moderately hope that you would, so that I could teach you a few more things.” 

 

“You can always teach me whenever,  _ chef.  _ I’m a well-behaved student, aren’t I?”

 

Hannibal couldn’t help but shudder at the debauched tone the word  _ “chef”  _ was uttered through his lover’s mouth. He may or may not have reacted quite intensely at the use of word. The effect seemed to be visible by Will as he chuckled lowly. 

 

“Goodnight, Hannibal.”

 

“Goodnight, mylimasis.”

**Author's Note:**

> The Chef kink can be a whole story of its own if you are up to it.


End file.
